A chart or graph is described in Wikipedia as a type of information graphic or graphic organizer that represents tabular numeric data and/or functions. Charts are often used to make it easier to understand large quantities of data and the relationship between different parts of the data. Charts can usually be read more quickly than the raw data that they come from. They are used in a wide variety of fields, and can be created by hand (often on graph paper) or by computer using a charting application.
Traditional charts use well established and often poorly implemented ways of representing data. Many tools exist to help the user construct very sophisticated representations of data but that sophistication typically results in less meaningful charts. Embodiments of the present invention aim to overcome this problem.
It is known to use charting wizards such as those that are available in Excel and various other systems such as those provided by, for example, IBM. In addition there are multiple Business Intelligence (BI) tools available to users to enable users to analyze data in an attempt to create meaningful feedback. However, as the amount of data increases, so does the complexity of the visual representations created by the analysis of the data. These complex representations can end up swamping parts of the visual representation that is most required and relevant to an end user.
One known method of visualizing the components that make up an item being analyzed is to provide a hierarchical table showing how the components contribute to the whole of the item. Also, a bill of materials may be provided to indicate how many of one component are included within the item being analyzed. These lists of information breaking down the constituent components only provide minimal information to a user. These types of list do not provide a detailed representation of how measurements associated with the components correlate when grouping the components according to different grouping mechanisms. In particular, the importance of the components within one group of components with regard to other groups of components is not appreciated.
The present invention aims to overcome, or at least alleviate, some or all of the mentioned problems, or to at least provide the public with a useful choice.